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It was a well known fact that cats, no matter the breed, were born predators. With instincts that made them prime for the hunt, house cats often helped around their homes by hunting small insects. Or plastic wrappers, whatever was threatening the safety of their owners at any given moment.
Minho thought that science and facts weren't always right.
Despite being a cat hybrid, Minho had always been terrified of insects (though if you asked him directly, he would tell you that he was only mildly irritated by them). When he was a child, he would always run to his mom crying, asking for her help whenever a spider was in his room. As he grew up, embarrassment started to set it and he decided he needed to get over his fear; he couldn't be the only one of his peers who feared something so…nonthreatening. He couldn't exactly run to his mom for help forever, either.
Minho got better at dealing with insects over time, even though his hands shook uncontrollably whenever he approached a spider or a cockroach, trying to shoo them out of his home. There were days where bravery came easily to him and the whole ordeal was as easy as it could get. But there were also days where his hands wouldn't settle even after the insect was taken care of, and his breathing remained uneven despite several, agonizing minutes going by.
Which brings us to today. Possibly the worst day of Minho's life. He's currently standing on the toilet seat, clutching his tail to his chest in case the…the monster tries to get on it. A long, pitiful yowl coming out of his chest while his ears pinned themselves to his head. He could hear footsteps barreling towards the bathroom, but try as he might, he couldn't take his eyes off the little creature taunting him from the corner. Not even to see his boyfriend's frantic face as he opened the door, which would have made him snicker (and kiss his cheek) any other day.
"What happened? Are you alright?" Minho heard Jisung ask in between his panting as he tried to catch his breath. Minho didn't answer, he just stared more pointedly at the cricket that was somehow still in the corner, not moving an inch despite Jisung's noisy entrance. The hybrid clearly wanted his boyfriend to read his mind, that's why he didn't use his words (not because he feared his lip would wobble and his voice would shake if he opened his mouth, not at all).
Jisung seemed to get the message, turning to look at what had made Minho yowl like that. His lips twitched slightly when his eyes landed on the cricket. They had been dating for a couple of years now, so Jisung was familiar with Minho's fear of insects. He had gotten startled by Minho's yelps and screams whenever he found a tiny critter in their home enough times to know exactly what was happening now (although, in the three years of them living together, he had never heard Minho yowl like that, much less freeze the way he was now. Hmm…).
Jisung was taken out of his thoughts by Minho meowing pitifully besides him, his eyes still glued to the bathroom floor. The tip of his tail was twitching against his chin in agitation, trying to self-soothe and wondering what was taking Jisung so long. Couldn't he see the imminent threat that was in the room with them right now?
Jisung finally moved, thankfully, slowly grabbing a piece of toilet paper and inching closer to the insect. With one quick move, he squashed the cricket beneath his palm, muttering a small apology for killing it instead of taking it out of their home peacefully. He carefully rolled the piece of paper into a tight ball and threw it into the trash.
With a relieved sigh, Jisung turned to look at Minho again. The sight stopped him in his tracks.
Despite his best efforts, Minho hadn't been able to stop the tears from falling. Even if the cricket hadn't been that close to him, he was still shaking. He could feel hundreds of tiny insects crawling all over his skin, and he was two seconds away from scratching his arms so he could get rid of the awful sensation. And he was too scared to notice how his headspace was slipping the longer he was left on that toilet seat.
Even with embarrassment eating away at him (how could he let himself be this weak in front of Jisung?) he desperately wanted a hug from his Sungie.
Thankfully he didn't have to wait for long, a small whimper setting Jisung in motion again. He surged forward, wrapping his arms tightly around Minho's trembling frame. Minho took in a shaky breath and hugged him back, his tail winding around Jisung's waist, making sure he wouldn't leave him any time soon. Jisung expected his boyfriend to start sobbing immediately, but he was only met with stuttering breaths and small hands clutching his shoulders in a tight, almost painful grip. He knew Minho was still crying, he could feel his tears wetting the side of his neck where the hybrid had hidden his face, but no sound could be heard.
"It's okay, darling. You can cry, I've got you." Jisung murmured, hoping that the words would help Minho let go and get his fear out. Minho only whimpered again, shoving his face deeper into Jisung's neck. Jisung started to get worried when he noticed how Minho's breaths started to come in faster, the air barely leaving his nose before being sucked right back in.
"Hey kitten, you're okay, the awful insect is gone, I promise I'll always keep you safe." Jisung started to move his hand in slow patterns on Minho's back, trying to soothe him before he spiraled into a full blown anxiety attack. He carefully maneuvered them around until they were both sitting on the floor, Minho in Jisung's lap.
"Can you try to follow my breathing, angel? Deep breath in, just follow my lead." Jisung instructed Minho gently, praising him when Minho listened and made an attempt at taking a full, uninterrupted breath in. It wasn't as successful as either of them would have liked, Minho sputtering into a cough accompanied by a high whine, but Jisung only shushed him softly and told him to try again.
Jisung led Minho through a couple of repetitions until Minho's breathing was under control, and his crying had tapered off into the occasional tear here and there. His shoulders were still tense, and his grip on Jisung's shirt hadn't loosened at all, so there was still some way to go until Minho relaxed again. No matter, Jisung would make sure to get him there.
If he was being honest, Jisung felt a little out of his depth. Minho had never reacted to insects quite like this before, and Jisung wondered if this reaction was because of something else going on in Minho's life that he was unaware of or if this was a regular occurrence. Jisung didn't know if there was something specific that he should be doing to help his boyfriend to calm down, if he needed more hugs or something else entirely. Minho hadn't uttered a single word in the time they had spent in the bathroom, so Jisung had no hints to go off of.
His train of thought was cut off and the nervousness in his chest was replaced with an aching fondness when Minho raised his head to look at Jisung. He saw the way his puffy eyes were slightly glazed over, a clear sign that at some point during the past few minutes, Minho had regressed. 'Poor baby, he must have regressed because of how scared he was' Jisung thought. And that was the reminder that Jisung needed; no matter big or small, he was perfectly capable of making sure his little kitten was safe, comforted and happy. Even if this was a new experience, it was the same Minho that Jisung loved, and he would be damned if he couldn't help him relax.
"Oh baby, are you feeling small? Do I have a sweet, little kitten in my hands, hm?" Jisung cooed down at Minho. The hybrid only gave a soft meow in response, blinking his big, shiny eyes up at his caregiver. Jisung gently smiled at him and ran his fingers through Minho's hair, stopping to scratch behind his fluffy cat ears. A happy chirp echoed across the bathroom tiles, but Jisung noticed how it didn't melt into a purr the way it usually did.
"Oh yes, just my tiny baby, so small and cute." Jisung leaned down and rubbed their noses together, bringing a small smile to Minho's lips. With a determined hum he got up, Minho safely wrapped in Jisung's arms. The sudden movement made a gasp come out of the little, his hands somehow tightening their grip on Jisung's shirt.
"Shh, shh, it's okay darling, we're just going to our room, okay? Appa needs to grab a couple of things for his baby." Jisung begins walking them over to their room, his Make-Minho-Relaxed-And-Happy-Again plan now set in motion.
Jisung tried to put Minho down on the bed so he could gather the things he came in here for a little quicker. That idea was thrown out the window the moment he began to set him down.
"No!" Minho yelled out, digging his claws into Jisung's shoulders, his tail puffing out at the sudden movement. Jisung winced in pain and stood up again, bouncing Minho slightly to calm him back down.
"What is it, baby? Appa just needs to grab some things, I promise I'll be quick, okay?" Jisung tried explaining, but Minho was having none of it. He shook his head and whined, muttering "no, no" under his breath. Jisung was confused, since Minho usually didn't have any problem at being set down for a couple of minutes as long as Jisung told him he would be very fast. He had to remember this wasn't their "usual" though, so he needed to find some answers.
"Can you tell Appa what's going through that pretty head of yours, darling?" Jisung asked.
It took a minute, but Minho eventually answered, his voice slightly more high pitched and softer than usual, "Bugs in bed, Appa…s'ary." He had his eyes glued to their bed, the fear evident in his shaky pupils. Minho didn't want to be on the bed, where icky bugs could crawl onto his arms and legs. He wanted to stay safe and sound in his Appa's arms (surely the safest place in the whole world).
"Oh kitten, it's okay to be scared." Jisung said, accentuating his words with a kiss to Minho's temple. "Here, let me show you that the bed is clean."
He carefully moved Minho until he was perched securely on his hip, leaving his right arm free to run his hand through the covers. He even hit the mattress a couple of times for good measure, feeling Minho's eyes laser focused on his actions, paying close attention in case any insect jumped out at them with the movement. When nothing came up, Jisung turned to look at Minho.
"See? No scary bugs on our bed! Can Appa set you down so he can grab your paci and your blankie?" Minho thought about it, but ultimately he nodded. "Thank you baby, I promise Appa will be super duper quick." Jisung made sure to reassure him again, seeing that Minho still felt hesitant about being taken out of the cozy warmth of Jisung's arms.
With Minho now waiting (impatiently) on the bed, Jisung hurried over to their dresser to get everything he needed to make sure they had a relaxing afternoon. He had just wrapped his fingers around Minho's paci when he heard a pained whimper coming from behind him.
Minho was trying to be brave, pinky promise! He didn't want to be afraid anymore, and he didn't want his Appa to think he was a scaredy cat. But he swears he can feel icky, icky bugs crawling all over his legs and arms, even if he couldn't see them. The logical, grown up part of his brain knew he was being irrational, a leftover effect of his fear earlier. But he wasn't currently a grown up, and he needed to get rid of the feeling right now. So the only solution he could come up with was scratching at his limbs with his claws so the bugs would get off.
He was scratching so roughly at his arms that the skin was starting to bloom an angry red, and if he was being honest, it hurt. But the itchy feeling was gone, so he couldn't bring himself to stop. The pain made him whimper, even as he tried to stay quiet, the sound making his Appa whip around to look at him with startled eyes.
Jisung darted forward, dropping the pacifier on the bed and grabbing onto Minho's hands, his hold firm but gentle.
"Baby, hey, please don't scratch your arms, you'll hurt yourself." Minho's eyes grew teary, shaking his head frantically and trying to yank his arms out of Jisung's hands.
"Appa, bu' bugs. Bugs on me, Appa." Tears were sliding down his cheeks, the crawling sensation coming back. Jisung frowned, looking down to check if there was anything on Minho that he hadn't seen before. He was only met with the evidence of Minho's scratching, no bugs.
Jisung thought for a second. With his earlier comment about the bed, coupled with this, it was clear Minho was afraid insects would come out of every corner and crawl on him. Even though Jisung had showed him there were no insects on their mattress, his fear wasn't rational. Jisung could understand (his own anxities and fears weren't exactly "rational" often). He needs to find something that will keep Minho from scratching himself while letting him soothe his own anxieties.
"Can I put on some mittens on you, baby? They can help you be careful with your sharp kitty claws." He emphasized his words by shaking Minho's hands, hoping to elicit a giggle out of him. He didn't giggle, but he did huff the way he usually did when he was trying not to laugh at something ridiculous Jisung did, so the caregiver took it as a win. Minho ended up nodding, so Jisung carefully let go of his hands, hurrying over to their closet, where they kept their winter attire during the warmer months.
He pulled out a pair of mittens; they were a pretty cream color that had a paw print embroidered on both of the palms. It was Minho's favorite pair, the ones he refused to wash in the winter until Jisung sneakily threw them in the washing machine. Making his way back to Minho, he was happy to see that he hadn't scratched himself again (he was a good kitten who listened to his Appa), but he was squirming around, restless.
"Here, give Appa your paws, darling." Jisung made quick work of wrapping up Minho's hands in the mittens, leaving a kiss on each of them. This time, he is rewarded with a tiny, breathy giggle at the action. And as Minho goes to try and rub his hands up and down his arms, realizing that the motion get rid of the itchy feeling without causing him pain, he begins purring. The precious sound a clear sign that Jisung is doing something right.
"T'ank you Appa." Minho beams at Jisung. Minho has the smartest Appa in the whole wide world!
Purring kitten and blanket securely tucked in his arms, Jisung takes them over to their living room.
Before Minho can get spooked again, Jisung repeats what he did in their bedroom, running his hand over the cushions of their couch to show his baby that there were no insects in here either.
Jisung settles on the couch with Minho in his lap, his head resting tiredly on his shoulder. Jisung is about to tuck the blanket over both of their bodies when he notices that Minho hasn't stretched out his legs, instead pressing them tightly against his body, his arms caging them in. The purr that had been steadily coming out of Minho cutting off until they were both enveloped in silence.
Usually Minho loves to stretch his legs out, Jisung accompanying the motion with a "biiig stretch", making Minho blush and grumble shyly under his breath. Jisung realized that, like much of today, Minho wouldn't act like he usually would right now, either.
"Are you still a little scared, kitten?" asked Jisung.
Minho nodded, his ears flattening against his head in embarrassment. "Sor'y Appa, no mean to…" His slurred words make Jisung's heart break in two. Jisung tightens his hold on him hoping to comfort him with his touch.
"It's okay baby, it's not bad to feel scared. You're still my brave, sweet kitten." Jisung replied, rubbing his right hand in a steady motion along Minho's back. His words must surprise Minho, who raises his head, his ears perking back up in attention.
"'Eally? Min b'ave?" he asks, his eyes wide with wonder and shock. Jisung nods.
"Of course, you're the bravest baby ever! You asked me for help when you were scared in the bathroom, and you waited for Appa in the bed even when it was spooky. That sounds like something a brave kitten would do." Jisung assures him, looking into Minho's eyes with a warm smile. He saw the hybrid's tail swaying in contentment behind him, a tentative chirp leaving his throat.
"How about this, Appa can wrap you up in this blanket, so absolutely no bugs can crawl on you, what do you think?" Minho's eyes seem to almost sparkle at the idea, nodding so quickly he bumps his ears against Jisung's cheek. That elicits a giggle from both of them, and a small, squeaky meow out of Minho.
After a bit of jostling, Jisung spreads out the blanket he had brought on top of Minho, and instead of wrapping himself into the warmth, he tucks the corners between their bodies, making sure that the blanket was wrapped tightly around him, so that Minho feels a comforting pressure enveloping him. He makes sure that even his feet and legs are bundled up, ending up with a purrito on his lap (Minho would chuck a pillow at his head if he ever called him a purrito outloud. Jisung would make sure to do just that the next time Minho is big and wrapped up like this, just to be annoying).
"Ta-da! Is my baby comfy?" The only response he gets is a loud, rumbling purr. Minho had somehow managed to get the blanket into his mouth, a soft suckling noise joining his purrs, creating a lovely melody around them. That reminds Jisung of the paci he had brought with them as well. He shuffles around until he gets it out of his sweatpants with a triumphant "aha!". He quickly gets the blanket out of Minho's mouth, and before he can whine in complaint, he places the pacifier into his mouth. Minho's purr somehow gets louder, and he blinks these slow, sleepy binks up at his caregiver; a wordless thank you.
Jisung almost melts into a puddle when he realizes that Minho is making biscuits inside his mittens, the movement barely visible below the blanket.
With a bit more shuffling, Jisung grabs the TV remote and starts queuing up Minho's favorite movie, Ponyo. As the movie starts, he looks down when Minho meows in excitement, his eyes locked on the screen. They might've had a rocky morning, but Jisung was determined to make sure that the rest of their day was spent relaxing and enjoying themselves. Starting with enjoying the movie with his brave, lovely kitten.